Sustainability Technology & The Evolution of Smart Cities

HOT SOLAR CELLS

By converting heat to focused beams of light, a new solar device could create cheap and continuous power.

Technology:

A solar power device that could theoretically double the efficiency of conventional solar cells

The new design could lead to inexpensive solar power that keeps working after the sun sets

Availability:10 to 15 years

Standard silicon solar cells mainly capture the visual light from violet to red. That and other factors mean that they can never turn more than around 32 percent of the energy in sunlight into electricity. The MIT device is still a crude prototype, operating at just 6.8 percent efficiency—but with various enhancements it could be roughly twice as efficient as conventional photovoltaics

Circularity is embedded into the design of each and every Pentatonic piece — product components aid in the construction of each piece, eliminating the need for complicated assembly processes and chemical-laden glues and resins, while also minimizing unnecessary waste. What’s more, post-consumer materials are matched to products based on their unique properties and application possibilities.